Disaster Relief Aid

283 Pages·2019·3.66 MB·English

by  Bimal Kanti Paul

BIMAL KANTI PAUL
DISASTER
RELIEF
AID
CHANGES & CHALLENGES
Disaster Relief Aid
Bimal Kanti Paul
Disaster Relief Aid
Changes and Challenges
Bimal Kanti Paul
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS, USA
ISBN 978-3-319-77281-3 ISBN 978-3-319-77282-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77282-0
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For those powerless in marginalized groups
often denied disaster assistance.
Foreword
Around 400 disaster events kill more than 100,000 people every year,
with another 120 million people being directly affected. The interna-
tional community annually spends $25 billion addressing these events
which include floods, droughts, earthquakes, cyclones, wildfire, and
similar. On a daily basis, people and communities have their lives taken
or destroyed in catastrophic events that humans have little control over.
Each night on our evening news, images are shared of buildings col-
lapsed, farmlands cracked and parched, rivers swollen, or trees stripped
of foliage by fierce winds. Throughout of all this, we see heroic efforts
of people digging to free those trapped, feeding those that are starving,
giving comfort to those who are bereft, or burying those that have been
killed. Our experience of and response to these disasters is a common
human experience and has been throughout our entire history.
Experiences of disasters have long been (and continues to be for
many) understood in terms of “destiny” or “acts of God” that we have
little control over. We simply endure these events as our lot in life.
Indeed, it was not until the middle of the eighteenth century that
philosophers, such as Voltaire and Rousseau, began to conceive dis-
asters as the confluence between natural events and human activity.
vii
viii Foreword
On November 1, 1755, the great European city of Lisbon was devas-
tated by a massive earthquake, tsunami, and fire. Estimates of those
killed in the immediate aftermath of these events range between 10,000
and 100,000. However, the effects of this devastation were felt for many
more years with long-term social, political, and economic ramifications
resulting. In correspondence, Voltaire and Rousseau argued that such
devastation could not be part of God’s plan, nor could human activity
(in this instance, overcrowded cities and poor planning) be ignored in
understanding the effects of such natural events. In this manner, natu-
ral disasters came to be understood as outcomes arising from the nexus
between the natural and human. As such, it was feasible that they could
be planned for and in some regard, mitigated or have some vulnerability
minimized.
By gaining this philosophical “control” over disasters, it was not
unexpected that human responses in the aftermath of future natural
events began to become increasingly organized as lessons were learned
and resources to respond became more significant. At the same time,
the slow but progressive process of globalization meant that news of dis-
asters in one region or country become known more quickly in other
parts of the world thus resulting in cross-border relief efforts increas-
ingly occurring. Indeed, specific organizations were established with the
primary purpose of providing support and resources to affected commu-
nities in both their own countries but also internationally. It was in this
manner that the humanitarian sector was formed.
What drove these local and then, increasingly, international efforts
was a desire to respond to human suffering. This humanitarian spirit
(often linked explicitly to religious beliefs) underscored both the raising
of funds and the enacting of responses. Over time, this humanitarian
spirit became firmly entrenched alongside concepts of neutrality, impar-
tiality, and independence in defining and guiding these humanitarian
responses.
Throughout much of the history of humanitarian assistance, efforts
to respond were led by volunteers, either those that dedicated their
full-time efforts to such activities or those that were moved by indi-
vidual events to offer their services in an ad hoc basis. While necessary
Foreword ix
and desirable, more recently though there has been a recognition that
affected communities require more than good intentions in response. If
the international community is to raise and expend tens of billions of
dollars each year, then a level of professionalization is required to deliver
effective, efficient, and appropriate responses that are locally appropri-
ate and ideally, locally led. During the 1990s, standards were developed
and adopted by the humanitarian sector in order to ensure more pro-
fessional and accountable responses. The “Sphere Project” sets out the
minimum standards which aid agencies responding to disasters should
meet in planning and implementing their responses across a wide range
of sectors, including health, education, sanitation, nutrition, and so
forth. These standards were developed through aid agencies r eflecting
on their own practices and analysis of their own monitoring and
evaluation.
Improving responses to disasters though also have resulted from care-
ful research and analysis by academics interested in better understand-
ing the nature of these disasters and how they are addressed, which
brings us to this highly valuable book by Professor Bimal Paul. It is
not unreasonable (nor unexpected) that humanitarian practitioners are
focused on the immediate challenge of providing humanitarian assis-
tance in circumstances of great pressure and stress. Their work, with-
out exaggeration, is often a matter of life and death. Decisions they
make immediately affect those who are the most vulnerable. Within
this maelstrom of high demands, limited resources and tight time con-
straints, reflection and consideration of long-term trends and assessment
of activities are a relegated priority. Yet, such consideration is vital in
ensuring humanitarian assistance evolves and results in the most opti-
mal outcomes as possible. It is therefore the work of researchers, such
as Professor Paul, that is core to the ongoing professionalization of the
humanitarian sector.
By utilizing an historical approach, Professor Paul is able to clearly
map out the evolution of humanitarian responses and discuss the rapid
“democratization” of disasters through the advent of social media. Such
sharing of stories and needs has shortened the time between event
and response, but also provided communities with new ways to seek
x Foreword
assistance as well as provide immediate criticism where such assistance is
less than satisfactory. Social media has also shaped the financial response
of donors, both private and public. Understanding aid flows to disasters
is very necessary for those seeking to maximize the resources they are
able to access to deliver relief that is more comprehensive in terms of
interventions funded or individuals reached.
Drawing on a range of case studies, Professor Paul provides clear
insights and lessons on what are the main factors that result in disaster
response being more or less effective. Again, in the immediate face of
disasters, such analysis is crucial to improving humanitarian assistance.
Indeed, it is the final chapter in this volume that is the greatest contri-
bution. A range of challenges are recommendations that are made with
the primary purpose of improving future responses.
Professor Paul’s book is a very positive contribution to this field of
humanitarian assistance. While there is increasing academic research in
this field, it still remains under-considered in comparison with longer-
term community development activities. More analysis is required and
this volume signals a valuable addition. Drawing on a career-long inter-
est in disaster and relief aid, this carefully constructed, well researched,
and clearly written book pulls together a substantial amount of knowl-
edge and expertise. This book will be read carefully by donors, aid agen-
cies, and local community-based organizations.
Over the past nearly four years, my own academic institution has
provided academic and professional training to nearly 400 humanitar-
ian managers and leaders from across the globe. These dedicated and
highly experienced professionals have responded to some of the world’s
most devastating disasters over the last three decades. Their actions
have saved lives and allowed affected communities rebuild in the face
of enormous hardship. During the course of their study, we ask them to
reflect on their experiences and draw on this knowledge in their future
responses. This volume provides a template for such analysis and will
resonate with their own professional journey.
This volume is a valuable contribution to a field of study mired in the
humanitarian spirit. This volume is well overdue and adds a considerable
Foreword xi
degree to our understanding of disasters and relief aid. As someone
whose own research occurs in countries that are vulnerable to disaster
events, I am personally grateful that this volume as the lessons it con-
tains will enhance the humanitarian assistance provided by aid agencies.
Geelong, Australia Professor Matthew Clarke
February 2018 The Centre for Humanitarian Leadership
Deakin University